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Spectacular omakase at Jewel Bako

A note of appreciation to all the Chowhounds who have recommended Jewel Bako on this board: last night, a friend (who is relatively new to sushi) and I splurged and had dinner at their sushi bar.

Setting and service were perfection. Jack, the owner (who couldn't have been nicer or more gracious) helped us select a terrific bottle of wine (neither of us are huge sake fans); the sushi chef, and the wait staff, proceeded to make a minor fuss over us without making any sort of big deal about it, which is sort of the Platonic ideal of service in a good restaurant, in my opinion.

We put ourselves entirely in the chef's hands for dinner, and that was the right decision. From the impossibly delicate and artistic appetizers through the plates of sashimi, the "intermezzo" of sake-steamed Japanese mushrooms, and the abundant individual pieces of sushi that followed, each little plate was a triumph of taste and presentation. Everything was carefully explained to us as it was served, but I was lost in a raw-fish reverie by the second or third dish and so I didn't take careful notes, I'm afraid.

And I never get tired of watching a good sushi chef work.

Omakase was $90 per person; splitting a nice bottle of wine, and adding tax and tip it worked out to be roughly $160 for each of us. Not something I can afford to do every night, but something that I really, really look forward to doing again soon.

This incredibly rich beverage is anything but your nana’s hot cocoa. Incorporating tahini into this dairy-free hot chocolate adds a decadent layer of warming nuttiness that’s a perfect partner to the robust flavors of cocoa and vanilla.